IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI…THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HANCOCK…HARRISON…JACKSON

…WATCHES AND WARNINGS… A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF MORGAN CITY EAST TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER AREA. THIS INCLUDES THE METRO NEW ORLEANS AREA…AND THE MISSISSIPPI COAST.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR AREAS AWAY FROM THE COAST.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND EXTREME SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 12 PM CDT.

…STORM INFORMATION… AT 800 AM CDT…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.7 NORTH…LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST. THIS LOCATION WAS ABOUT EASTERN ST BERNARD AND ORLEANS PARISHES.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. HURRICANE KATRINA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY.

…PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… WITH THE ONSET OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY SQUALLS…PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN IN LAST RESORT REFUGES IN STRONG…WELL CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS. IF LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING DEVELOPS…MOVE TO HIGHER FLOORS OR HOUSE ATTICS. BRING TOOLS TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY EXIT SHOULD THESE HIGHER FLOORS OR ATTICS BECOME INUNDATED.

…STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS… KATRINA MAKING LANDFALL IN EASTERN NEW ORLEANS AND MISSISSIPPI COAST AREA THIS MORNING. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING HURRICANE…SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS OCCURRING. LEVEES HAVE BEEN OVERTOPPED IN ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES. IN ADDITION DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE OCCURRING ON TOP OF THE STORM SURGE NEAR THE COAST.SEVERE TIDAL FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THESE AREAS. IN ADDITION… SEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING IS PROBABLY OCCURRING IN SOUTHEAST ST TAMMANY PARISH AND IN HANCOCK…HARRISON AND JACKSON COUNTIES IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI.

IN ADDITION…A STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 12 FEET WILL BE OCCURRING IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AFFECTING THE EAST BANKS OF JEFFERSON…ST CHARLES…ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND LIVINGSTON PARISHES.

TIDES ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST. SEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED DEVELOP THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING…WITH HIGHEST VALUES ALONG THE LOUISIANA COAST EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER…MISSISSIPPI COAST…AND ALONG THE SHORE LINE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS.

…WIND IMPACTS… KATRINA HAS EVOLVED INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING AROUND 100 MILES FROM THE CENTER. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SPREADING INTO COASTAL MISSISSIPPI. POWER OUTAGES WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE MORNING HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL PERSIST OVER MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WIND GUST OF 100 MPH WAS REPORTED BY THE GULFPORT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. BELLE CHASSE NAVAL AIR STATION HAD A WIND GUST OF 105 EARLIER THIS MORNING.